Ralph Northam on Government Reform

End unnecessary restrictions: no-excuse absentee ballots

Voting is the most fundamental action a citizen can take in a democracy. Choosing leaders and holding them accountable is how citizens shape the future for all of us.
If we really believe in a system where the people are in charge, we should work together to eliminate barriers to the ballot box instead of building them higher.

Unfortunately, Virginia law imposes many onerous and unnecessary restrictions on voting that discourage participation for many people.

Let's reverse that troubling trend by passing no-excuse absentee voting, so more people can have a say in their
future without jumping through unnecessary hoops. This commonsense reform will make voting easier, reduce lines on Election Day and send a simple message that in Virginia, we want more voters, not fewer.

Nonpartisan redistricting so voters, not pols, pick reps

Q: You recently denounced "dark money" and stressed the differences between your campaign and [Democrat Tom] Perriello's in out-of-state fundraising. 57% of out-of-state donations went to Perriello, while 11% went to your campaign.

A: I do not let
contributions influence my decision-making. I took on the tobacco industry in the first year after I was elected. There's a tremendous amount of influence from the tobacco industry in Virginia. I introduced legislation to ban smoking in restaurants.
My record is for standing up for the principles and values that are right for Virginia.

Q: What else needs fixing in Virginia's campaign-finance system?

A: The first thing is we need to have a nonpartisan redistricting. We need to get rid of the
gerrymandering in Virginia and make our districts fair so that voters are picking their representatives, rather than politicians picking their voters, which is the way it is now. After we do that, then we can tackle campaign-finance reform.

Mid-decade redistricting bill is borderline corruption

Dr. Ralph Northam, a Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, delivered more than 14,000 petitions gathered by his campaign to Governor Bob McDonnell, to urge the Governor to veto the mid-decade redistricting bill, should it end up on his desk.

"This power-grab puts 46% of Virginians in a new district and is nothing more than an effort to pass a radical agenda that the majority of Virginians do not want," said Northam. "The
Senate should be the place where both parties come together to find solutions--not the place where one side will stop at nothing to mandate things like a medically unnecessary ultrasound for Virginia's women.
It's borderline corruption, and I urge the Governor to listen to his constituents and veto the bill, if it ends up on his desk."